PC’s Cotton, former URI star Baron earn All-American status

Kevin McNamara Journal Sports Writer kevinmcnamara33

Monday

Mar 31, 2014 at 7:53 PM

PROVIDENCE — If anyone needs an explanation on just how Bryce Cotton rose from a recruit with one scholarship offer to an All-American, a look inside Providence College’s Alumni Hall Monday told the story.

PROVIDENCE — If anyone needs an explanation on just how Bryce Cotton rose from a recruit with one scholarship offer to an All-American, a look inside Providence College’s Alumni Hall Monday told the story.

As word came down that Cotton was named an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American, the Friar guard wasn’t waiting by the news ticker. Instead, he and roommate Brice Kofane spent their early afternoon firing jumpers and working on ball-handling drills.

The sight of Cotton hoisting jumpers is nothing new for anyone breezing past Mullaney Gym. That work ethic has been on display for four years and kept Cotton away from family and friends back home in Arizona most summers. It elevated him into a rare two-time All-Big East first-team pick, the Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and the first Friar to earn AP All-American accolades since MarShon Brooks was named to the third team in 2011.

The AP names three teams of All-Americans, then honorable mention picks. Voting takes place at the end of the conference tournaments. The first team includes Doug McDermott (Creighton), Jabari Parker (Duke), Russ Smith (Louisville), Shabazz Napier (Connecticut) and Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati). Billy Baron, the East Greenwich native and former University of Rhode Island guard who finished his career at Canisius, was also an honorable mention selection.

Instead of working towards more collegiate honors, Cotton says he now has a spot in the NBA in his sights.

“I definitely think I can,” he said when asked if he feels he can play in the NBA. “I’ve never doubted myself. I’m going to continue to work hard and I’ve always known that anything I get I have to earn and work for.”

Cotton said “I gave myself a week off,” after the Friars’ season ended with a 79-77 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-1 guard saved his best for last, dazzling the Tar Heels and any fans or scouts who had missed the many highlights of his scintillating senior season by going off for a career-best 36 points to go along with eight assists and five rebounds. While that effort will live on in the memories of PC’s fans, Cotton says he has no time to look back and is excited to be working on improving his game.

“It was a great season and something to be proud of, but as far as the guys coming back next year and the guys like me who are leaving, there’s no time to dwell on that,” he said. “You have to move forward and keep working and try to pick up where you left off and take it to another level. Getting complacent is a killer for anybody. No matter what you accomplish, after a certain time you have to throw that to the back burner and keep moving forward.”

Cotton said he’ll be meeting with prospective agents in the coming weeks and weighing just how to proceed with the draft process. He’s currently getting little mention as a potential draftee in the first round, but the only guidelines available currently are web sites run by media or scouting services.

“There are a lot of things that happen between now and the draft,” he said. “From my observations of the last few years, I’ve seen guys’ stock rise and fall after private team workouts and things of that sort. Anything can happen. For me, it’s too early to tell because there’s a lot going on in the next few months.”

Many of the best college seniors are invited to play at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.) on April 16-19 in Virginia. The P.I.T. is the only postseason event for college seniors prior to the NBA pre-draft camp but Cotton is a candidate to bypass Portsmouth and look ahead to workouts with individual teams and a spot in the NBA’s combine in early June. The top point guards in scout’s eye right now include Dante Exum, an Australian who is bypassing college basketball, Oklahoma State sophomore Marcus Smart, and Syracuse freshman Tyler Ennis.

“I have a lot of things going on right now, like finding an agent and getting things in line for the draft,” Cotton said. “I’m not rushing, but at the same time I know the sooner the better on some things, because when the NCAA Tournament ends things are going to really start picking up.”

Cotton has one other life hurdle he’s ready to clear. He says he’s intent on staying at PC over the next month and completing the three courses he has left in order to graduate on time with a degree in Sociology.

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